War is the name of four fictional characters, who are supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. All are members of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse: Abraham Kieros; the fifteenth-century incarnation of War (real name unknown); the mutant Gazer; and the First Horseman War. The title has also been held by the Hulk, Deathbird, and Colossus.

Abraham Kieros

Publication history

War first appeared in X-Factor #11 (December 1986), and was created by Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson.

The character subsequently appears in X-Factor #15 (April 1987), #17 (June 1987), #19 (August 1987), #22–25 (November 1987–February 1988), Daredevil #252 (March 1988), X-Factor #26–27 (March–April 1988), X-Factor #84 (November 1992), The Uncanny X-Men #294–295 (November–December 1992), and Wolverine (vol. 2) #147 (February 2000).

War appeared as part of the "Apocalypse's Horsemen" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #1.

Fictional character biography

War (Abraham Kieros) was a young Vietnam War veteran who was paralyzed in combat. He was kept in a hospital and placed in an iron lung, but felt as though he was betrayed and forgotten by his country. Apocalypse appeared to him one day and offered him the ability to move and to get revenge on those who had tossed him aside. He accepted the offer and was indeed given the ability to move again, which allowed him to use his mutant power—the ability to create explosions through kinetic contact, usually by clapping his hands together—in Apocalypse's service as his Horseman of War. He often bickered with fellow Horseman Famine and disliked her total lack of obedience.

During the Horsemen's first confrontation with X-Factor, War attempts to lead the group. However, Famine and Pestilence refuse to obey his orders and flew off to do their own business. Soon after, Death takes over leadership. During the attack on Manhattan, War attacks Cyclops and is later teleported back to the ship by Apocalypse, where he fights several more X-Factor members. War is eventually defeated by Iceman. Apocalypse then grabs War and flees.

Later, during the "X-Cutioner's Song" story arc, War attacks Colossus and Iceman, but soon flees after Caliban grabs Jean Grey and Cyclops. Caliban hands the two over to Apocalypse, who is really Mister Sinister in disguise. The X-Men seek out the Horsemen and War is presumably defeated in combat.

Much later, War appears in an hospital, once again paralyzed from the neck down. He has apparently been abandoned by Apocalypse, who stripped him of his powers. Archangel, who had gained newfound powers and had been searching for Kieros, heals him of his wounds, giving him hope to start over with a new life.

Powers and abilities of Abraham Kieros

Abraham Kieros is a mutant with the power to create explosions in his immediate area by clapping his hands. He does so by harnessing the minor kinetic force created when his hands strike each other, amplifying it to a significant degree, and redirecting it spatially so that it strikes and affects some other object in his line-of-sight, causing an explosive release of force. The limits of the range in which his power is effective is not specified.

While a servant of Apocalypse, War rode a robot mount that resembled a demonic quadruped beast, could travel on land or fly through the air, and was capable of teleportation.

15th century incarnation

Not much is known about this incarnation of War. He was chosen by Apocalypse in the fifteenth century to become his horseman and lead his army, the Riders of the Dark. This army was so fierce and powerful that most people presumed it was just a myth used to scare soldiers before their first battle. It was no myth at all, and it precisely was what people thought it was, fierce and strong. In most of their battles, the only soldier who had to fight was War, who would single-handedly defeat hordes of men just by himself.

In 1459, the Riders of the Dark appeared in Romania where Vlad Ţepeş' army was fighting against the Ottomans and emerged victorious. Unfortunately for Vlad (who would become Dracula), War defeated Dracula's army. The survivors fled for their life, abandoning Dracula on the field who stood his ground and faced War but ultimately fell.

Gazer

Gazer, before (left) and after his depowering on M-Day

Gazer is a mutant astronaut who was stationed alone on a NASA observation space station, due to the unusual metabolism he possessed as his mutant power, whereby he could absorb harmful radiation and process it to gain sustenance. Gazer lost his powers on M-Day, along with 90% of mutants. Succumbing to radiation sickness, he began to imagine that an experiment on the effects of radiation sickness was sentient (calling it "Phantom Torso"), and it constantly advised him to call NASA to ask for a return home. However, he remained until an alien resembling Doop, which he had built up to himself as his last hope, passed by his station on its way to crash-landing on Earth. Thereafter, "Phantom Torso" stopped "talking" to him, and he put on a spacesuit and went out into space to die. However, Gazer was teleported to Apocalypse's ship and forced to battle Dr. Foster, a human archeologist who had stumbled upon Apocalypse's tomb, for the "right" to become War, Horseman of Apocalypse. Gazer would have lost the battle if it were not for Ozymandias, Apocalypse's servant. Ozymandias told Gazer that he would owe him and one day the scribe would become the master.

As War, Gazer was sent to battle the X-Men and Sentinel Squad O*N*E. Upon returning to Apocalypse's sphinx, he was approached by Ozymandias who wanted his debt repaid. War, no longer Gazer, did not fulfill his oath and instead revealed the truth to Apocalypse about Ozymandias' treachery. During a heated battle against the X-Men, Ozymandias kills Gazer, taking vengeance on him.

Powers and abilities of Gazer

Before M-Day, Gazer, in addition to his unusual appearance, could absorb radiation at frequencies and levels which induce radiation sickness in normal humans and photosynthesize it as food.

After his depowering on M-Day, he was taken by Apocalypse and transformed to possess superhuman strength, enhanced durability, and the ability to absorb and channel solar energy as blasts of fire through his eyes. He also carried a spiked mace which flashed with electricity-like bursts and rode a robotic horse-like flying mount.

War (First Horseman of Apocalypse)

War is one of four children of Apocalypse and Genesis, born and raised on Okkara. She and her siblings grow up to be the first Horsemen of Apocalypse and fight against the Brood in Ancient Egypt. When the forces of the dimension of Amenth invade Earth and split Okkara into Krakoa and Arakko, War, along with her mother, her siblings, all Okkaran mutants, and the newly created island of Arakko, is voluntarily sealed away in Amenth to stop the invasion while her father Apocalypse remains on Earth.

After Genesis becomes Annihilation's new host, Arakko is subjugated and united with the forces of Amenth. War and her siblings are sent to Otherworld to destroy the province of Dryador and lay siege to the Starlight Citadel. When Summoner successfully lures Apocalypse to Otherworld, the Horsemen attack and severely wound their father. When Saturnyne intervenes and arranges the X of Swords tournament, War is chosen as a swordbearer for Arakko and travels with her sister Pestilence to recruit their aunt Isca the Unbeaten, the mercenary Pogg Ur-Pogg, and Solem, much to the fury of War.

War's first challenge in the tournament is against Solem in a contest of who can cut off a limb from their opponent first. Solem calls in a favor owed to him by Wolverine and asks the Krakoan mutant to take his place, telling War that Wolverine had killed her son Summoner in a previous challenge to enrage her before departing. War outmatches Wolverine in combat (though he had been poisoned by Death) but is unable to cut off his head due to his adamantium skeleton. Wolverine cuts off her left hand (which she later regenerates) and wins the challenge, though the victory goes to Arakko since he was standing in for Solem. After the tournament concludes and Annihilation is defeated, War and her siblings (excluding Death) return to Amenth with their parents.

When Genesis incites a civil war on Arakko, War joins her mother there and fights against Storm and her allies. After the war ends, she joins her mother and her brother Famine in exile on Phobos.

Powers and abilities of War

War is an Omega-level mutant with the power to psionically manipulate air molecules and excite them to create flame. Her head is constantly burning and she is able to create new body parts from her flames. War is also very long-lived, having been alive for thousands of years.

In combat, she wields Vermilion, the Red Sword of War. According to Apocalypse, she was the best Horseman of War who ever served him, with all her successors being "underwhelming" by comparison.

Other versions

Age of Apocalypse

An unidentified incarnation of War with powers similar to Abraham Kieros appears in "Age of Apocalypse" as a member of Apocalypse's first wave of Horsemen. He was defeated by Mikhail Rasputin when Apocalypse invaded Russia and ultimately killed by Nemesis.

Mutant X

An unidentified incarnation of War appears in Mutant X.

In other media

Television

  • The Abraham Kieros incarnation of War appears in X-Men: The Animated Series, voiced by James Millington. Another incarnation of War who served Apocalypse in ancient times made a non-speaking cameo later in the series. War appears in X-Men '97, voiced by Lawrence Bayne.

Film

A version of War with powers similar to Abraham Kieros' appears in X-Men: Apocalypse, portrayed by Fraser Aitcheson. This incarnation served Apocalypse in Ancient Egypt. Later in the film, Magneto (portrayed by Michael Fassbender) is chosen by Apocalypse as his Horseman of War.

External links